Page 138 of Lovers' Dance

Watching me like a hawk, Matt opened his car and we filed in, the exaggerated clearing of his throat reminding me to buckle up. Nathan and Bella were cosy in the backseat. I was stressing over Matt’s reaction to my teasing comment. We’d been on the road for about ten minutes before hitting red lights. Matt reached across to grab my hand and bring it to his lips. He winked at me as he pressed a soft kiss on my palm, willing me with his eyes to smile.

I did. My mood improved considerably by his tender action. Nathan made a comment from the back about Matt needing both hands to drive and we all laughed.

“Where are we going?” I asked Matt as he rested my hand over his firm leg and resumed driving.

“A private auction, poppet,” Matt advised, malevolently cutting off a car that was trying to undercut him. He was as aggressive as me behind the wheel.

“What? Now?” I asked in surprise, glancing at the dashboard. “It’s gone ten pm. What sort of auction starts this late? I hope it’s not anything illegal, Matt. I will turn you into the cops if you’re involved in anything shady.” I yanked my hand from his thigh and twisted in my seat to peer at Bella and Nathan who were chuckling in amusement. “You guys, too. What is it you Brits say? Ah, yes,—I’ll shop you.”

Nathan’s chuckles turned into a loud uncivilized bray of laughter before he said to Matt, “Some girlfriend, mate. Whatever happened to loyalty between couples?”

Observing Nathan and Bella, I snorted in derision. “Loyalty, my ass. I’m not doing time for anyone, not even a cutie like Matt.”

It was Bella’s turn to let out a loud exclamation of amusement. Nathan shook his head as he corrected my pronunciation. “The word is arse, not ass, Madi. How long have you been living over here?”

“I’ve tried to tell her, mate.” Matt said lightly. “But her Americanisms are entrenched. You should hear the way she pronounces ‘Salisbury.’”

“Don’t you guys read the Bible?” I jumped to my own defence. “King James version. Check the spelling.”

Nathan regarded me with trepidation. “You’re not one of those Christian fundamentalists, are you?”

Matt choked on his breath before sending me a mischievous sidelong glance with the corner of his mouth curling up. “If, by fundamentalist, you’re alluding to someone who has no qualms about—”

“Shut up,” I squeaked, certain he was going to say something completely embarrassing and smutty. He twisted his head to grin at me. The gleam in his eyes confirmed my suspicions.

“Let’s just say Madi makes me feel close to heaven.” The lewd way Matt wagged his eyebrows at me had my cheeks blazing.

“Matt,” Bella chastised, herself looking a bit embarrassed. “Behave.”

Both men laughed at us while Bella and I huffed with righteous, ladylike indignation.

“Are we heading into Central London, Matt?” I asked to staunch his sexy chuckles.

“It’s a secret location, poppet,” was all he would say. When I asked Bella and Nathan, they, too, repeated his answer. Crazy ass. I hoped tonight wasn’t going to be some weird—

“You’re not going to auction me off, are you?” I could hear how ridiculous the words sounded as they left my mouth. Matt turned his head to give me an intense look. We had hit a red light. His grey eyes observed me clinically for a moment, and I tried my best not to freak. Why was he looking at me like that? Shit. He wouldn’t dare take me to some illegal flesh trade, would he?Would I fetch a good price?What the hell was I thinking?

“Poppet,” he finally said as the lights changed. Amusement started to leak into his grey orbs, replacing that clinical look. “Sometimes I wonder what goes through that head of yours. Auction you off? How utterly ridiculous.”

“What do you expect me to think?” I rallied, feeling a tad foolish. Speaking without thinking was a bad trait to have. “A late night auction? Whereabouts unknown? Crazy gazillionaire? I read the news, you know. Stuff like that could happen. Nathan could keep it out of the news, keep my disappearance secret.” I continued to explain my previous silly comment. Should I stop digging the hole now?

Matt shook his head and sent me a sidelong amused glance. “Why don’t we have quiet time, poppet? Just don’t speak for a while.”

I shot him a glare as the back of the car erupted into laughter, then the corners of my mouth curled in a smile. He grabbed my hand and rested it on his leg. It was a strange thing between us, strange and comforting. The constant need to touch whenever we were in close proximity.

“Okay, Mr Bradley,” I teased. “I’ll keep my big mouth shut until we get wherever we’re going.”

“Wise choice, poppet,” Matt agreed, then licked his lips as I stroked his thigh lightly.

The car descended into a relaxed silence as Matt drove. It didn’t take us long to hit Central London. I lived in Greenwich, Zone 2. Central London was Zone 1, and I loved being close to where the action was.

There was traffic on the road, even at this time, and Matt peered at his watch.

“What time are you going in to the studio tomorrow, poppet?” Matt asked, breaking the silence with his casual question.

“Seven-ish.” I replied. “Why?”

“After the auction, I’ve arranged for a boat ride on the Thames. I don’t want to keep you out too late.”

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